Some houses do not merely occupy a site. They extend into it, breathe alongside it, and subtly absorb the character of their surroundings. House by the Park in Bengaluru does precisely that, engaging with the adjoining park not as a backdrop but as an integral presence within daily life.

The plot measures approximately 5,000 sq. ft., with a built-up area of nearly 11,500 sq. ft. Rather than asserting itself along the street edge, the house is positioned towards the northern boundary, allowing the southern edge to open generously towards a triangulated park dense with mature trees. This becomes a deliberate and contextual planning strategy, privileging light, ventilation, and landscape over conventional frontage.

As architect Sandeep Khosla, Principal Architect of Khosla Associates, articulates, “The way it’s planned just brings in a public space into the house with a very, very soft threshold. ”With the road located at a considerably lower level on the eastern side, the approach to the house unfolds gradually. A long flight of steps, rising close to eight feet, mediates the transition from the public realm of the street to the quieter, more contemplative interior world.

At arrival, a copper-clad main door introduces warmth and tactility. The entrance staircase, constructed using corten steel, concrete, and metal, establishes a restrained yet robust material palette, offering an early indication of the architectural language within.

Internally, the house is organized around a fluid spatial arrangement. The informal living, formal living, dining, and kitchen areas are conceived as a continuous open plan. While visually connected, these spaces are subtly articulated through shifts in volume, alignment, and geometry rather than through solid partitions. Each of these zones opens directly onto a south-facing verandah, allowing the outdoors to function as a seamless extension of the interior living spaces. This arrangement responds intuitively to Bengaluru’s climate, remaining shaded, permeable, and closely attuned to the landscape.

Large sliding openings dissolve the threshold between inside and outside, extending the primary living space onto a generous deck. Fenestration throughout the house is executed in Accoya wood, a sustainable material selected for its durability, acoustic performance, and resistance to weathering, ensuring longevity without compromising material integrity.

Nearly all principal rooms are oriented towards the park. Living spaces and bedrooms look out onto tree canopies rather than neighboring structures, reinforcing a strong visual and spatial relationship with the landscape. Angled concrete fins along the façade serve as privacy screens from adjacent buildings while simultaneously modulating daylight and airflow. The southern façade remains largely open, affirming the park as the dominant visual and experiential anchor of the house.

Window systems across the residence are carefully detailed to address climatic responsiveness. A two-flap configuration is employed in several locations, with the upper glass panel top-hung to admit daylight while deflecting rain, and the lower mesh shutter bottom-hung to facilitate ventilation and insect control. These understated yet thoughtful interventions enhance daily comfort while remaining visually unobtrusive.

The pooja room continues this dialogue with nature. Overlooking a tranquil water feature near the entrance, the space is deliberately restrained in its expression. A single Pichwai painting, along with the presence of water, becomes the focal element, together fostering an atmosphere of calm, reflection, and spiritual repose.

A defining spatial feature of the house is the staircase. Designed as a folded-plate structure, finished in a deep burgundy tone and supported by timber members, it rises through the levels as a sculptural element. Set against a powder blue wall, it remains visually present from multiple floors. At the mid-landing, a carpet artwork inspired by Kolam motifs introduces a layer of cultural reference, quietly integrating art into everyday circulation.

As the house rises, its massing is carefully moderated. The second floor is recessed from the building edge, reducing its perceived height when viewed from the street. As architect Amaresh Anand notes, “The second floor is intentionally recessed back from the edge of the building, in order to control the scale, and keep the building, in a sense, just as a G+1 when you perceive it from the street.”

The master bedroom further reinforces the relationship with the park. A continuous, corner-less window wraps from the south to the east, opening up a near 180-degree panorama of trees and sky. This strategy of dissolving corners extends into the bathroom, where pocket sliding doors align seamlessly, maintaining uninterrupted visual continuity.

At the uppermost level, a home theatre opens directly onto a terrace. Large sliding doors allow the enclosed space to expand outward, creating a balanced interplay between open and semi-open environments. From this vantage point, the canopy feels almost within reach, reinforcing the idea of the landscape entering the house at multiple levels.

Ultimately, the essence of the project lies in its seamless integration of the park into everyday domestic life. Semi-open verandahs, decks, terraces, and permeable edges enable the landscape to flow through the architecture. Light filters through foliage, breezes move freely, and seasonal changes quietly register within the interiors.

Rather than asserting dominance over its surroundings, the house aligns itself with nature, allowing the garden to function as both setting and constant companion to daily living.